1: Know Your Tutee: There are seven billion people on this blue marble of ours, and you probably know half of them. Still, be sure to know who you're tutoring; smile as the session starts, ask for their name, shake hands, crack a lame joke that they pretend to laugh at. Establish a rapport with them.

 

2: Be Courteous: This one should seem pretty obvious. Don't be a jerk. The more antagonistic you are, the less your tutee will listen to you, meaning the less helpful you are, meaning both you and your tutee are wasting time.

 

3: Pay Attention: The more you listen to what the writer is trying to say, the better you'll be able to help them say it. If that makes sense. Be patient. Be attentive. Read the paper carefully, too; keep notes on a separate sheet of paper if you'd like.

 

4: Don't be Overcritical: Whether they realize it or not, most people invest something of themselves in their writing. To fail in writing is to fail as a writer. This includes the boring assignments, too. So, as demeaning or kindergarten-esque as this might sound, be sure to put in more praise than criticisms. After you finish reading, compliment the piece. The more comfortable a writer feels, the more receptive he/she will be to your advice.

 

5: Ideas First, then Spellcheck: There's no point in spellchecking if you're going to rewrite half the darn paper. Make sure you organize ideas first. If the grammar detracts from the paper to the point where the piece is nonsensical or distracting, you may go through a problematic passage with the tutee and outline some example mistakes.

 

6: Let Them Do the Talking: As easy as it is to outline things for the writer, your job is to walk them through their thought processes. Ask questions: "What do you think about this?" "How would you approach that?" "Does this sound awkward to you?"

 

Remember: at the end of the day, this is not your paper.

 

7: Don't Annihilate the Paper: If the paper you're looking at is anything like that of the average high school student, it will probably look nonsensical and, for lack of better words, constipated. It may be rife with all sorts of errors, most of which will have to be ignored if you want to really improve the thinking in the paper. Remember that writing is composed of drafts: focus on two to three major problems in the first draft, then two to three more in the second, and so on.

 

8: Good Writing is Made Up of Drafts: Never forget that writing is a continuous process, and emphasize this with your tutee. "Finding Forrester" puts it best: first draft is with your heart, second draft is with your head. According to college essay books, the third draft is mainly dedicated to picking at each word one by one, checking to see if there's a more suitable replacement for each. Give each draft time to ferment so you can approach each rewrite with fresh eyes.

 

9: Make Sure Everything Makes Sense: The reader should not have to work to understand what you're saying. Except for Dickens. He gets a freebie on this one. If the piece is a thesis paper, make sure it relates back to the thesis. Make sure everything has a point to it. If it does not support the work in a meaningful way, then it shouldn't be in the work.

 

If you get a chance, check out William Strunk's "The Elements of Style." It's a good read, and it will really lay out the fundamental guidelines to good writing.

 

 

(Beats homework, at any rate.)